No. 95. 


Woman's Union Missionary Society. 


———— +04 


THE HOUSEHOLD PET. 
By Miss Garpner, 0f Calcutta, India. 


ITTLE Tulsi played in the sunlight, that came stream- 

ing into the open door of her mother’s house, tottling 

over the threshold, into the great world of light outside, and 
crawling back to pick up the sunbeams, that she had left be- 
hind on the floor. It seemed as if they might be picked up 
by her baby fingers, but not succeeding in getting them, she 
tires of her play, and runs to her mother to be crooned over, 
and talked to, as only mothers know how to do. Little Tulsi 
is a high-caste Hindu baby, and her home is in the midst of 
a far-off Indian city. A fortunate baby she is too, for the 
gods have been very kind, and in the zenana, around their 
mother and gladdening the eyes of their father, are four lovely 
boys. Very fortunate, a favorite of the gods is Tulsi’s mother, 
and very fortunate also is the little Tulsi herself. If she had 
come into the world first, very little welcome would she have 
found. But when one after another, the boys came and grew 
up from babyhood to boyhood, strong healthy little fellows, 
the father said “never mind” when Tulsi appeared, ‘‘we can 
afford to have one girl,” and the mother heart warmed toward 
the baby daughter, and Tulsi’s life was full of joy and love. 


(2) 


Even the father sometimes took her in his arms and caressed 
her, and the boys thought a sister a very lovely thing to have, 
and brought her bits of the good things which it was their 
privilege to share with their father. Tulsi thought the world 
a very beautiful place, as she rolled in the sunshine, and 
drank in the still warmer sunshine of her mother’s love. 

One day a strange thing happened in this little girl's life. 
She had grown from creeping, to standing firmly on her 
sturdy little legs, and her two bright eyes were capable of 
taking in a great deal, and her fingers! you who know any- 
thing of baby fingers, can easily imagine of what mischievous 
exploits, hers were capable. It was when she was about three 
years old that this strange thing happened to her, as she sat 
one day near her mother weaving bits of grass together to 
make a basket, and not meeting with much success in her 
occupation. Suddenly the door darkened, and in stepped the 
strangest looking person Tulsi had ever seen. She crept very 
close to her mother, and was too frightened to scream. Even 
her mother was discomposed at this strange apparition, and 
pulled her cloth over her face, and sat quite quiet. Thisnew 
comer was the Zenana teacher, who had been visiting in the 
neighboring houses, about whom Tulsi’s mother had been 
hearing for a long time. In speaking of her one day, to one 
of her friends, she had said ‘‘I wish she would come to see 
me.” The friend had given very glowing accounts of the 
lady, her singing, and the many things she could do, even 
though she was a woman, and she thought it would be pleas- 
ant if she would come and teach her what her neighbors and 
friends were learning. Only the day before, Gopal’s wife had 


(3) 


come to sit with her and brought the loveliest scarf, which 
she was knitting of various bright wools, and Tulsi’s mother 
thought how much she would like to make some for her hus- 
band and children. But she had never seen an English 
dressed person before, and the coming was so sudden, that 
fora moment she lost her presence of mind, and retired be- 
hind her sari, so that the visitor saw only a figure shrouded 
in white from head to foot, with a frightened little girl 
crouched close to her. The lady was accustomed to such 
receptions, and began by gentle words, to draw out the timid 
woman, till by and by, first one eye, and then the other, 
emerged from the cloth, and the whole face was revealed. 
Tulsi’s mother became thoroughly interested in telling the 
Mem Sahiba about her boys, and how good the gods had been 
to her in giving her four boys before the coming of the little 
daughter. Tulsi forgot her shyness, and was soon absorbed 
in examining the strange things the lady wore. 

An hour passed pleasantly, and the visitor must go; not 
however till in answer to earnest entreaties, she had prom- 
ised to come again and teach, as she had been doing in 
the houses of their neighbors. Tulsi followed her to the door 
with her little hand full of cardamon seeds, which her mother 
had given her to present to the lady. 

That night, when the father came home, and the boys re- 
turned from school, very wonderful were the stories they 
heard. ‘Tulsi’s father, long before knew all about this lady. 
He had often met her in the narrow streets and lanes about 
his house, and he had heard from his brother Babus too, 
what her errand was. He knew that she was a messenger of 


(4) 


the Lord Jesus Christ, and about the Christ religion he knew 
a good deal, and in his heart he thought about it more than 
he ever felt like putting into words. In his youth, he had 
gone to a Mission School in a city near by his native village, 
and there had become convinced of the truth of the Scriptures. 
He had made up his mind to come out from his people, and 
take a stand on the Lord’s side ; but before doing so, he con- 
fided his wish to his father, who horror stricken at what he 
heard, at once removed him from the school, and taking him 
to a distant village, shut him up in the house of his grand- 
father. There, every influence was brought to bear upon 
him, to give up his intention, and every device used, to divert 
his mind, till at last the lad promised to think no more about 
it. Then marriage arrangements were made for him with 
the daughter of a high-caste wealthy neighbor, and in the 
gaieties of the wedding festivities, the impressions died out 
of the boy’s mind, and care was taken, that he should not be 
placed again where he could hear anything that would bring 
them back. So he grew to manhood a Hindu, so far as out- 
ward observance was concerned, but with no belief in his 
heart for anything. He easily gave his consent, that his wife 
and little daughter, should be taught by the Mem Sahiba, 
even though he knew that it meant teaching them the truths 
that had brought so much trouble to him. Trouble, because 
he had not the courage to stand by his convictions in the face 
of great opposition, forgetting what he had been taught in 
the Mission School. ‘‘If any man will come after me, let him 
take up his cross and follow me.” 

It was arranged therefore that the Mem Sahiba should 


(5) 


come, and she began to visit regularly. Tulsi’s mother being 
bright and quick, soon mastered the art of reading, and was 
able to read intelligibly in the simple books given her. 
Tulsi herself, took great pride in being able to bring her 
primer and say a short lesson. The good time for both, was 
when the lesson-books closed, the lady opened another book 
which she always carried with her, and read to them beauti- 
ful things, or what Tulsi liked better still, sang to them songs 
in their own language. 

Thus the years went on, till the little girl was eight years 
old, and could read well. Her mother learned many things, 
and among her simple neighbors was looked upon as quite a 
learned woman. She had learned however something of 
which she did not speak to them, something which she kept 
in her own heart. 

But now a change must come to this quiet happy family. 
Tulsi being eight years old must be married. The father 
and mother have talked it over, and the mother with a real 
longing after the better things, begs that the marriage may 
be postponed. She even pleaded that they may all come out, 
and confess the Christ who has become so dear to her. The 
husband who resisted so many years ago, finds it easier to 
resist to-day, and allured by the wealth of the family from 
which has come the offer to marry his daughter, he turns a 
deaf ear to his wife’s entreaties, and makes the arrangements 
for little Tulsi with a man three times her age. Great was 
the display of the wedding ; with flourish of trumpet, and 
beat of drums was it inaugurated, and carried on through 
many days of celebration ; fireworks and all sorts of festivi- 


(6) 


ties, followed each hour of the day, and little Tulsi covered 
with jewels and rich clothes, thought that being married was 
indeed a most delightful thing, and wished it might go on 
forever. But everything has an end, and the wedding festivity 
came to its close all too soon. A part of the marriage 
agreement had been, that the little wife should be taken to her 
husband's home to be brought up in the zenana of his mother, 
till she was old enough to perform the duties ofa wife. Poor 
Tulsi’s mother did not know this, until it was too late to re- 
monstrate, for her husband had discreetly kept it from her. 
Never before, had the little one slept away from her mother, 
never before, been away from the beloved home circle Now 
she finds herself separated from them all, in a strange place, 
surrounded by strange people who stare at her, criticise and 
Jaugh at her, till the poor little weary homesick girl’s life is a 
burden to her. ‘They do not mean to be unkind, but to Tulsi 
everything that is not home, is not pleasant, and like the 
petted spoiled child she is, she spends her time crying, and 
refuses to be either obedient or loving in the new home. So 
this little child-wife is punished by the mother-in-law, to bring 
her into subjection, as two other of her sons’ wives had been 
taken in hand, till the spirit crushed out of them, death had 
mercifully come, to release them from a lifelong bondage. - 

Not so however is it to be with Tulsi, our merry glad- 
hearted little Tulsi who had never before in her life known a 
SOITOW or a Care. 

She had been a wife only a month, when her husband 
sickened and died. Alas! whose fault was it, that this man 
who had indulged in every kind of excess his whole life, 


(7) 


should not have power to resist disease when it came ; whose 
fault but that of his little girl-wife? Henceforth what a life 
was hers! What reproaches are heaped upon this child- 
widow! Her pretty clothes and rich jewels are taken away. 
In a coarse white cloth wrapped around her, the rest of her 
life must be spent in fasting and penance, to atone for her 
great sinfulness. She must be the drudge of the household. 
She must enjoy nothing. 

Our poor petted, loved and loving little Tulsi, what can be 
done for her? What can be done for thousands, yes millions 
of little Tulsies over this great Indian Empire. Women of 
England and America what cam you do? What will you do? 


The “Woman's Union Missionary Society” is an associa- 
tion of all evangelical denominations. It was formed in 
1860, and is the frs¢ organization in America which opened 
Zenana work. ‘Three large cities in India and _ several 
suburbs are its centres of operation, where 50 missionaries 
and 66 native assistants are teaching 4,000 pupils every year 
in the Zenanas. Will you not feel it a duty as well as privi- 
lege to give to this Society, which seeks only to spread the 
name of Christ in those sad homes of India? 


Send for the “ Missionary Link,” issued six times a year. 
Subscription, 50 cents. 


Mrs. HENRY JOHNSON, President. 

Miss S. D. DOREMUS, J/oreign Corresponding Secretary. 

Mrs. WASHINGTON CHOATE, Home Corresponding Secretary. 
Mrs. RUFUS WAPLES, | 4. ctamt Treasurers 

Miss MARY S. STONE, { Sg Ae 

Miss H. KINGSBURY, Treasurer of “‘Missing Link,” 


LEAFLETS ON WORK IN INDIA 


No. 
25. 


40. 
as 
66. 
76. 
82. 
87, 
92. 
93. 
95. 


(Now IN PRINT) 


Wonan’s Union Wissioyary Society, 


Mission Room, 41 Brstt House, New York. 


US a eae Each, Cts. 
What a Pair of Slippers: Did \(ForsIndta a9 ope 2 
Betutt's Doll (Ose cee eee id beste bts aca 2 
Giftiforla™ Little; Bride) ones eeeeee I 
Kasheba’s-:Pléa :.sgsohl cir teeter eek ee 3 
Givers: for) Jesusi2.meke. . 12 state SER Se ce 3 
Wayside: Guests. oo. mG: ee omer 2 eee 2 
DAVE soo bres wines bl pha: Sika at eae eee ae 2 
sad Weddings: ost. c11.cenesumtereeeee  eee 2 
shall "We ‘Teach si hemipeese: ote. 2 te eee eee ee 2 
The Household: Pet 4.25 455.0 ee ee ee 4 
Story andi W Orks 5.5 su eu alsin coals Bere oie etre eae eae Free 


